Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has faulted the government for giving out affordable housing units as gifts despite Kenyans heavily contributing to the scheme.

While speaking in the Senate on Thursday, September 25, 2025, Khalwale went head-on with the government, which he said has, in the recent past, been issuing affordable housing units for free to Kenyans who perform exemplarily in various activities as gifts, despite Kenyans digging deep into their pockets to contribute towards the scheme in the form of the housing levy.

He specifically pointed out the recent incident when Harambee Stars players were awarded units in the scheme after their win against various teams in the recently concluded CHAN games.

“It’s important that, maybe through an amendment of the Act, or through these regulations, we should now be clearer on who benefits from these houses. I’m starting to see a red light. You saw when our athletes did very well at what was it called? CHAN—the championship where we did very well. You saw, all of a sudden, they received a gift of houses. Is this the way we want to do it? That money contributed by Kenyans is then used to give out houses as gifts?” Khalwale said.

He went ahead to question if the government can indeed convince Kenyans that the housing levy being deducted from their salaries on a monthly basis is being used as gifts to those who excel in other activities.

“Can you convince Kenyans at Nyayo Stadium or at Kasarani to continue contributing part of their salary so that at some time when a Kenyan does something extraordinary, he is gifted?” Khalwale stated.

On the same issue, his Busia counterpart, Okiya Omtatah, warned Kenyans against buying these units, since should he seize power as he wishes in 2027, he will reclaim public land.

Omtatah’s suggestion

According to Okiya Omtatah, the land housing the affordable units belongs to the state, and selling houses built on these lands, as is being done currently, amounts to selling public land without following the proper guidelines stipulated in the Constitution on how public land is converted to private land.